The Premier also visited the Jokhang monastery in Lhasa, considered one of the holiest shrines in Tibet, which was hit by a fire this year; the extent of damage was unknown due to the lack of information on the incident as authorities maintain strict censorship on news related to Tibet.

Li began his visit in Nyingchi, where he visited communities supported by the government’s poverty alleviation programme, meeting residents and leaders of the area and stressing the need to promote sustainable development and improve Tibetans’ quality of life, the report said.

He inspected efforts for the conservation of water and the local ecosystem in the Yarlung Zangbo river and said ecological conservation should be strengthened further.

Tibet has been closed to the foreign press since 2008, when dozens of Tibetans died after setting themselves on fire in protests against Beijing.

Tibetan monasteries in western China, even outside the government-declared autonomous region, have been flashpoints of protests against Beijing’s policies, with more than 100 monks and sympathizers immolating themselves in the last decade.